Articles of footwear and apparel having a partially fused fabric portion and methods of making the same

Abstract

An article of footwear can include an upper. The upper includes a knitted portion having yarns partially fused to adjacent yarns and filaments of the partially fused yarns that are partially fused to adjacent filaments. Methods for manufacturing an article of footwear including an upper having a partially fused knitted portions include applying heat with or without pressure to form the partially fused knitted portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 applying heat at a temperature between 180 to 190 degrees Celsius to a fabric for a duration of between 25 to 60 seconds to form a fused portion, the application of heat resulting in the fused portion having a tensile strength such that the fused portion displaces less than 10% of an unstressed dimension of the fused portion when a 100 N tensile force is applied to the fused portion, and a tear strength such that the fused portion does not tear when a 40 N tearing force is applied to the fused portion; and 
 forming the upper of for the article of footwear from the fabric comprising the fused portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat is applied for a duration of 45 seconds and the tensile strength is such that the fused portion does not plastically deform when a 150 N tensile force is applied to the fused portion. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying heat to the fabric occurs simultaneously with an application of between 5 to 100 kgf/cm 2  of pressure to the fabric. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying heat further comprises pressing the fabric in a mold. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric is a sandwich mesh comprising a first layer, a second layer, and spacer yarns between the first layer and the second layer. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic, the second layer comprises polyester and spandex, and the spacer yarns comprise polyester. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the sandwich mesh comprises nylon and spandex. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 applying pressure simultaneously with the application of heat, wherein the applying heat and pressure to the fabric comprises embossing the fused portion to form a plurality of substantially linear ribs that are raised above an unfused surface of the fabric. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the ribs are formed with substantially even spacing. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of the ribs is formed with a substantially semi-circular cross section. 
     
     
       11. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:
 applying heat at a temperature between 165 to 185 degrees Celsius to a fabric and a pressure of 5 kgf/cm 2  to the fabric for a time period of between 25 to 35 seconds to form a partially fused portion, such that, after the applying heat and pressure to the fabric, a portion of the fabric comprises yarns that are partially fused to adjacent yarns and filaments of the partially fused yarns that are partially fused to adjacent filaments, wherein the partially fused portion displaces less than 10% of an unstressed dimension of the partially fused portion when a 100 N tensile force is applied to the partially fused portion; 
 forming an upper of the article of footwear from the fabric comprising the partially fused portion; and 
 coupling the upper to a sole. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the applying heat to the fabric occurs simultaneously with the application of the pressure. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the applying heat and pressure to the fabric comprises pressing the fabric in a mold. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fabric is a sandwich mesh comprising a first layer, a second layer, and spacer yarns between the first layer and the second layer. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic, the second layer comprises polyester and spandex, and the spacer yarns comprise polyester. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the sandwich mesh comprises nylon and spandex. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the applying heat and pressure to the fabric comprises embossing the partially fused portion.